t pa c- 7c b/($ 7 · erok (erik gillard) for his originals of berries on our cover and elsewhere in...
TRANSCRIPT
NO JUSTICE? NO PEACE!
The Plainfield Co-op
Hours: Monday–Saturday 9aM–8pM Sunday 9aM–6pM
Phone: 454-8579 Website: www.plainfieldCoop.com
– Celebrating Berries –
Management Collective Anji MurphyDawn FancherDawn Rose KearnDorothy WallaceJeannine DeWaldJessi RobinsonKaren StarrMargie YoderMike PeabodyNancy Ellen
Regular StaffAaron JamesDoni CainJill Frink ThompsonKristin Brosky
SubstitutesBen RappoldChris JacksonJim MalloyKate DarakjyPaula EmeryStephen Bosserman
Co-op Board MembersChris Jackson, President 802-595-3623
Gail Falk, Vice-President 802-777-0528
Les Snow, Treasurer 426-3800H,229-1888 [email protected]
Rebecca Armell, Secretary426-3034. [email protected]
Mike Peabody 454-0195Joseph Gainza 454-8550Sue Chickering (229-6232)
Committee ContactsBuilding: Mike Russell
[email protected]: Les Snow (426-3800)Newsletter: Glenda Bissex (454-7895)Equity Action Team (EAT): Les Snow(426-3800)Community Center: Doni Cain (454-1478)
Cover art by Erok
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Newsletter AdvertisingSpecifications
Copy Deadlines:
August 5 for the Summer IssueSend check made out to Plainfield Co-op when your copy is submittedAd copy and payment should be submit-ted to:
Alan Taplow, Ad Coordinator844 John Fowler RoadPlainfield VT 05667
Electronic Graphics files preferred butwe are able to work with any clear copy.
Questions: 802-454-4675 0r [email protected]
It's (almost) summer andwe're celebrat-ing one of itsspecial gifts—berries! Ourthanks toPlainfield graphicartist, activist andCo-op memberErok (Erik Gillard)for his originals of
berries on our cover and elsewherein the newsletter (except as noted),
We're also celebrating Sarah Albertas our new design and layout person.Sarah, who has years of experiencedoing layout for several local organi-zations, has been a member of theCo-op since she moved to Plainfieldin 1994, A member of the PlanningCommission for 13 years, Sarah wasalso a founding member of theConservation Commission.
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About This Newsletter
NO JUSTICE? NO PEACE!
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The United Nations has declared 2012 asthe International Year of Cooperatives sowe join in celebrating cooperatives nearand far. For more info see the UnitedNations’ website dedicated to theInternational Year of Cooperatives:www.social.un.org/coopsyear.
Your participation in our Co-op is a votefor a more sane and just economy. Andyour participation in this newsletter--withart work, commentary letters, and espe-cially reading it thoughtfully--is appreci-ated. Next deadline for submissions:August 5.
Glenda Bissex, co-ordinator (454-7895)Sarah Albert, design and layout(476-0526)
Joseph Gainza, board liason and editing(522-2376)Debra Stoleroff, editing and recipes (476-3154)
Alan Taplow, advertising and distribution (454-4675) w
The Building Committee has been onvacation through last summer and muchof the fall, recovering from the “Backof Store” efforts. But we’re back inbusiness. There are some loose endsfrom previous projects, and three poten-tial major projects we are now workingon. These are all in the planning stagesand member, staff, and board input iswelcome.
1. Back wall. The back, end wall of theCo-op (facing Kerrin McCadden’s yard)is in bad shape and needs repairs andpainting. Since this is old lead paint,lead precautions are needed for any-thing we do there. We have an estimateof about $10,000 for repairs and paint-ing. However, another approach is toremove the siding, add an inch of Hi-Rinsulation, and reside with prefinishedcement clapboards, at a cost of about$15,000. This will avoid future paint-
ing, and make the building more energyefficient. We think this is the rightapproach, most cost effective in theend, and we will be taking this to theboard in the near future. This work islong overdue.
2. Coffee area. The staff has been work-ing to develop a coffee/hot snack/sittingarea in the Co-op, back in that cornerwhere the bread has been. Nate Nusseyhas been working on designs, whichwill be posted at the Co-op this week.With everything factored in, this couldcost as much as $5,000, but would adda lot to our co-op.
3. Garden/deck/boat launch. AllenBanbury, the Friends of the Winooski,and others have been pushing to developa canoe launch in the land behind theCo-op. The basic idea is that folks couldconveniently launch a canoe or two back
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Building Report by Sam Clark
Credit: computer image of coffee corner by Nate Nussey
there, and take a little cruise on the river(upstream would work out best).Extending this idea, that same areacould become some sort of garden andsitting area....a couple of tables, a deck,so you could get your delicious coffeeand pastry, walk directly out onto thedeck and have a lovely view of the river.Maybe the garden part could be done asa volunteer project, and the Friends ofthe Winooski have some grant moneyperhaps for the boat launch.
This is still in the planning stages, andthere have been a couple of meetingswith the town about it. In general wethink it dovetails perfectly with the cof-fee area idea and adds a lot to what theCo-op offers its membership.
These are ambitious projects, but we’reexcited to move ahead on them.
Mike Russell is the new committeeChair, and we are looking for newmembers, particularly for someone totake over minutes, notices, and so on.
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Looking for:The Building Committee needs someone to take over the position ofRecording Secretary from Sam Clark. Responsibilities would be:
• keeping files of minutes, reports, and drawings
• coming to all meetings
• preparing and sending out minutes in a timely fashion
• handling email chores as needed
• writing reports for the Newsletter
This should be someone good with details, who likes to write. Samwill help the new Recording Secretary get started. Mike Russell is thenew Chair of the Building Committee
Contact: [email protected]@sover.net
Credit: sketch by Noah pollock
As we move into summer, we look atwhat we’ve done, what we’ve planted,and how it’s all growing. It’s a time toreflect on the plans we made, and takeaction when we need to, such as pullingout a weed, or turning under a crop thatis not thriving so that we may startagain with something else. These sea-sonal analogies are always useful tofind a theme for such an article, butthey often mysteriously follow what isgoing on inside all of us, in our com-munities, and in our organizations. TheCo-op board is no exception.
As I’ve mentioned in previous articles,the board has spent much time trying togather information and feedback fromyou, our membership. This has beendone through surveys, and through theWorld Cafe. We do this to help informour ends policies, the overall big pic-ture vision that we charge theManagement Collective with carryingout. Once again, our ends are: Ourcommunity will have in the followingorder of importance:
• a market for the distribution ofhealthy food and other goods.
• An outlet for local producers andgrowers that supports the local andregional economy.
• Opportunities to build a sense ofcommunity in the village ofPlainfield and surrounding areas.
• More awareness of the quality andsource of our food.
Since the World Cafe, we are alsoexploring adding to our ends policiesregarding ecological integrity andsocial justice. This is a seed that has
been planted and that we are nowworking on developing.
In each article, I have put out my con-tact info and made myself available forany concern and input regarding theCo-op and these ends. I have heardfrom some people concerns that areperennial, concerning organic, local,and affordability. This is a constantchallenge with the ManagementCollective as well. There are no easyanswers, but what I’m interested in ishow do you interpret the ends? Whatdoes “healthy food” mean to you?What is “local”?
The board asks the ManagementCollec tive how they interpret theseends. Here's what they've come up within their last report on them:
Our community will have a market for the
distribution of healthy food and other goods.The Co-op will prioritize healthy foodover products that either the membersor the Management Collective deemsunhealthy.
Our community will have an outlet for
local producers and growers in order to
support the local and regional economy.
The Co-op will prioritize local vendorsand products direct from vendors overnon-local products and products from adistributor. We define local as anyproduct produced within 100 miles.
Our community will have opportunities to
build a sense of community in the village
of plainfield and surrounding areas.
The Co-op will put into place systems
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Board Report by Chris Jackson
continued on page 12
7
Plainfield Co-op Financial Summary, 2007-2012
2008 2009 2010 2011 Jan-Mar 2012
804,805 803,121 883,455 942,072 221,850547,849 545,612 601,457 654,211 149,003256,956 257,509 281,998 287,861 72,847250,337 267,150 271,609 289,837 72,9546,619 -9,641 10,389 -1,976 -107
14,821 14,285 12,187 17,483 10,74610,925 2,100 5,933 4,274 1013,896 12,185 6,254 13,209 10,64510,515 2,544 16,643 11,233 10,538
12/31/08 12/31/09 12/31/10 12/31/11 3/31/12
41,982 23,359 43,510 21,763 38,650153 520 0 646 0
50,380 51,080 51,002 43,226 42,60292,515 74,959 94,512 65,635 81,25280,384 84,846 99,463 99,463 99,463-49,793 -49,793 -65,772 -65,772 -65,772
Cap. Imp. Deferred Revenue 0 -24,282 0 -7,958 -7,9580 44,095 10,078 47,131 47,385
123,106 129,825 138,281 138,499 154,370
Accounts Payable 37,623 46,527 52,497 39,056 47,617Other Current Liabilities 3,134 3,280 4,276 14,433 13,376
40,757 49,807 56,773 53,489 60,993Long Term Liabiliities 43,755 36,182 27,926 20,194 18,138
84,512 85,989 84,699 73,683 79,131
5,972 5,972 5,972 5,972 5,97222,107 35,320 30,967 47,611 58,72910,515 2,544 16,643 11,233 10,53838,594 43,836 53,582 64,816 75,239123,106 129,825 138,281 138,499 154,370
Total EquityTOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY
Retained EarningsNet Income
Total LiabilitiesEquity
Common Stock
Total Current Liabilities
LIABILITIES & EQUITYLiabilities
Current Liabilities
Total Current AssetsFixed AssetsAccumulated Depreciation
TOTAL ASSETSOther Assets
Accounts ReceivableOther Current Assets
ASSETSCurrent Assets
Checking/Savings
Net Income
Other Income/ExpensesOther IncomeOther Expenses
Net Other Income
Plainfield Co-op Balance Sheets, 2008-2012
Profit & Loss Statements, 2008-2012
Cost of Goods SoldGross ProfitOperating ExpensesNet Operating Income
Sales
I’m quite fond of berries. I love fingerfood, as well as fresh produce, soberries are a great answer to the want.I also love the varieties of shapes,sizes, colors, and seasons that comewith the sweet little fruits. They comeon like a parade through the summerand disappear in the fall. We areentreated to enjoy their short lives asthey appear to us.
Berries love sunshine and just a bit ofrain. The problem is, when ideal ripen-ing conditions arrive, the fruits instant-ly begin reaching perfection, some-times in as little as a day or two, anddon’t stop until the weather changes, atwhich point they will begin rot if theydon’t stay dry for most of the day. Thewindow for a good harvest on a singleplanting may not even last two weeks.You may recall a couple of years ago
there had been a strawberry flood inthe markets. Stores had two-for-onedeals, restaurants put them in every-thing, and the big organic farms inFlorida and Virginia were dumpingproduct on the conventional marketbecause they had reached saturationwith the certified fruit. This wascaused, in large part, by a partialfreeze in the South which had slowedor destroyed much of the crop. Tocompensate, new plants and fieldswere brought online, only to be caughtin a heat wave that not only broughtthe newer strawberries to harvest, italso revived a good amount of theplants which had been lost to the cold.Suddenly, there were too many straw-berries but they had to be harvested,just the same.
I once worked on a farm that producedstrawberries as a pick-your-own crop.They are prone to disease, insect dam-age, bird attacks, over-picking, and afew other tragedies of agriculture. Infact, one of the only cost-effectiveways to include them as a crop is totake them on as a pick-your-own, sincethat externalizes the labor involved inharvesting. The plants were managea-bly productive for a couple of yearsand then had to be replaced, oftenincluding a complete shift to anotherpart of the field. To do a total reset likethat involved riding on the back of atractor, breaking clumps of prepack-aged strawberry plants into thousandsof starts, and dropping them into holesthe tractor punched in the soil ahead ofyou. Then, the new field had to be
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Love Your Local Berry Growersby Mike Peabody, Produce Manager
continued on next page
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mulched and covered with some kind ofheat-retaining fabric like reemay, whichwas then weighted or sandbagged intoplace to keep the wind from peeling thecover away and exposing the plants tofrost. The whole affair took most of twodays to finish less than one acre, andbefore the snow fell, most of the coverhad been lost and replaced at least once.
I wondered why they never tried to “putthe harvest back," given how muchspace strawberries occupy and the workthey entail. Frozen strawberries arealways in demand. It just seemed pru-dent to not let the field go to waste,since anything a farmer pays to plant,cultivate, and fertilize but which fails toyield harvest is a detriment. Yet, at thattime and from every strawberry-raisingfarmer I’ve met since, the opinion isthat they are barely worth the effort tokeep for pick-your-own, let alone hand-picking and freezing them, storing for apossible later sale. To date, LittlewoodFarm is one of the last pick-your-ownstrawberry operations in CentralVermont, and the only certified organic
one I know of, for sure, outside of theIntervale. Littlewood is also one of theonly operations to bother harvestingstrawberries for retail, which is why Ifeel especially fortunate to be able toreceive their fresh fruit.
Most berries carry this burden, in someway. Blueberries last a while longer butrequire some intense fertilizer manage-ment. Blackberries and raspberries are abit more durable, to my understanding,but birds like them just as much andtheir thorny canes make for a difficultharvest. In any case, berry growers arenot goofing around. The plants are acommitment and they occasionally pro-duce next to nothing. At Plainfield Co-op, we are very lucky to have as manyfresh and frozen berry growers tochoose from, at any point in the year.Other, larger stores may not even have asingle farm which can choose the retailavenue to showcase these precious jew-els of summer. I don’t mean to tell youwhat to do but please, if you meet aberry grower, buy something and thankthem for their work. They know besthow difficult it can be and it doesn’tcost anything to be appreciative. w
Love Your Local Berry Growers continued
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Berry Herbs: Home to the Spirits by Dorothy Wallace
Berries as herbs? According to the HerbSociety of America an herb is “anyplant that may be used for pleasure, fra-grance, or physic.” Similarly, Rodale’sIllustrated Encyclopedia of Herbsdefines an herb as “a plant or plant partvalued for its medicinal, savory, or aro-matic qualities.” So, berries it is! Theberries you will find in the herb aisle ofthe Co-op include elder, hawthorn, andSchisandra (wu-wei-zi).
Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) arepacked with good-for-you properties.Dried elderberries—in pies, pancakes,jam, wine, tea, syrup, or tincture—have long been used to maintain healthduring the winter. Traces of the berryhave been found in Stone Age sites
and the legends surrounding it comefrom long, long ago. People in thenorthern hemisphere have long felt aspiritual connection to the plant. TheNorse believed it to be the home of thegoddess Freya. Hulda, Holda, andHylde-Mlkoer (all synonymous with“elder”) are some of the names for agoddess and/or folk figure who, as thespirit of the elder plant, would hauntanyone who cut down her abode.Contrarily, it was believed to bothattract witches and to ward them off.Cradles made of elder wood wouldattract bad witches or fairies to comeand pinch the baby until it was blackand blue. On the other hand, branchesgathered on the last day of April andput up on doors and windows wouldward off witches. It was believed thatit could not be struck by lightning, soit was planted near houses. Twigswere carried as a charm for health andgood luck. A long-held, persistentbelief is that an elder bush or treemust be approached with utmostrespect and gratitude and permissionasked before any part is taken from it.And it does need to be approachedrespectfully! The leaves, roots, stem,and the raw berries containcyanogenic glucosides which releasecyanide. Ripe cooked or dried berriesare, however, nontoxic. Ancient heal-ers, medieval wise women and men,and modern-day herbalists, all recog-nize the power of elderberries.
Hawthorn trees and bushes (Crataegusmonogyna), sometimes referred to ashaws, also were supposed to be homesto the denizens of folklore—particu-
continued on next page
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larly Celtic. Thomas the Rhymer, thethirteenth century Scottish mystic andbard is said to have met the FairyQueen by a hawthorn bush. She ledhim into the fairy underworld wherewhat felt like a short journey turned outto be seven long years. There are manytales of unwitting travelers being way-laid by the fairy or wee folk whoinhabited and protected the “lone bush-es” or isolated hawthorns that dottedthe landscape. As with the elder, theseplants could not be damaged in anyway without incurring the wrath oftheir other-worldly protectors. Alsoknown as May trees, garlands madefrom the blossoms and large leafybranches were set outside houses asblessings. However, it had a dark side.Bringing them inside was strictly taboobecause it was thought they broughtdisease and death. These contradictorybeliefs can be somewhat reconciledwhen the power of the herb is consid-ered. In the nineteenth century, an Irishphysician included them in his “secretremedy” for heart disease. Modern sci-ence corroborates his practice. It is nowknown that it dilates blood vessels, thuslowering blood pressure. It also lowerscholesterol and has an effect on heartmuscle, helping a damaged heart workbetter. In Germany, there are severalhawthorn-based medications available.
Chinese folklore maintains thatSchisandra (Schisandra chinensis) can“calm the heart and quiet the spirit.”One of the 50 fundamental herbs of tra-ditional Chinese medicine, it is knownas the five-taste fruit. This flavorencompasses sour, sweet, bitter, warm,and salty. It is mentioned in the earliesttext of Chinese herbal medicine, whichtouted its use for enhancing wei chi,
the defense energy of the body. EarlyRussian hunters used the berries andseeds as a tonic that improved nightvision and reduced hunger, thirst, andfatigue. Pharmacological studies haveshown that Schisandra berries areexcellent adaptogens—that is, theyhave a balancing effect on the bodyregardless of its current condition—andthey protect the liver.
All of the berry herbs can be powderedinto capsules, made into tinctures, andadded to baked goods. To get started onthe delicious road to health, make your-self a pot of berry tea. Start with 1 to 3teaspoons of berries and a little over acup of water (some will evaporate).Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, and thenlet steep for another 15 to 30 minutes.Strain and enjoy. Experiment to find thestrength and flavor that suits you best.Let the potent spirits that inhabit theseplants reside in you. Your immune sys-tem, liver, and heart will thank you. w
Berry Herbs continued
Makes approximately 11⁄2–2 quarts
3–4 tea bags of Tazo Passion HerbalInfusion (depending on desiredstrength)4 cups boiled water8 oz. pear juice8 oz. berry juice (strawberry, raspber-ry, etc)2–4 cups cool water (depending ontaste preference)
Boil 4 cups of water. Pour over teabags in large glass container. Let cool.
Add pear and berry juice. Add water todesired taste. Cool in refrigerator.
RefReSHiNG SuMMeR DRiNkfrom Debra Stoleroff
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and programs that encourage the feel-ing of living in community. Commu -nity is defined as a group of peoplewho have been able to accept and tran-scend their differences regardless ofthe diversity of their backgrounds.
Our community will have more awareness
of the quality and source of our food.
The Co-op will use a variety of tacticsto educate customers about the qualityof food sold as well as where the prod-uct is sourced.
There are many ways of looking atthis. I have heard from people whothink that canned food, even organic isnot healthy. I have also heard from
people that they have felt like they losta sense of choice because productshave been pulled because of some ofthese issues and they no longer feellike they have an affordable option.How important are ecological andsocial justice issues when you makeshopping choices?
This is cultivation time. We canimprove on what we’ve planted andcontinue to nurture it, as well as growand expand upon what we’ve alreadydone. As always, we, the board,encourage you to be a part of thisprocess. Again, my phone number is802-595-3623, and my email [email protected]. w
Board Report, continued from page 6
1 lb. carrots, scrubbed and cut into1⁄4-1⁄2" circles. Boil 1 min. in smallamount of water.
21⁄2 Tbs butter2 tsp. sugar1 Tbs. currant jelly1⁄2 c. chopped rhubarb1 tsp. shredded orange peel11⁄2 tsp. brandyparsleysalt & pepper
In fry pan, melt butter, add carrotsand sugar and jelly; toss and cookuntil tender.
Add rhubarb and orange peel. Cook5 mins.
Stir in brandy until liquid is gone.
Sprinkle on salt & pepper and parsley.
RHuBARB SAuCeD CARRoTSfrom Randy
The Community Center has been fullybooked for the past three months nowwith no more than a couple of unrent-ed days a month. We have been mak-ing small improvements over the pastyear but lately members and rentersalike feel it’s time for a major spruceup. Many of our long time weekly andmonthly renters as well as the Co-opstaff and working members are inter-ested in working together to spruce upthe space. We are looking atgetting/making new tables, new chairsand couches, building a stage, chang-ing the lighting, and repainting thespace.
There will be a planning meeting onThursday June 7th at 5:30 to discussthe sprucing up. We will be discussingwhat funds/resources we have, whatchanges we want to make and be pick-ing out colors for the new paint.
Then in the middle of June there willbe a reopening party. Many ideas arecurrently being worked out for thisparty and a lot of the planning for thereopening will be done at the May31st planning meeting. Ideas for thereopening party include a puppet showon our new puppet stage, a tea partywith table service, great homemadefood, live music and possibly a shortmovie.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on theCommunity Center Calendar in theentry of the Co-op for events andworkshops taking place in theCommunity Center. We still haveCapoeira classes, plays, yoga, EcstaticDance, Movie Night and much muchmore. If you have any questions feelfree to call me at home, 454-1478, oremail me at [email protected]. w
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Community Center Report by Doni Cain
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"Bread and Puppet Theater, an emergent Mosaic" by Mark Dannenhauer:
a Photographic exhibition and events at the Plainfield Community Center Gallery
June 1 to July 15, 2012
about the Exhibition
The Plainfield Community Center Gallery, Main Street, Plainfield, VT will host"Bread and Puppet Theater, an Emergent Mosaic," an exhibition of photographsand related events on the Bread and Puppet Theater by photographer and long-time puppeteer Mark Dannenhauer, of Shutesbury, MA. The photographs showa wide range of the Theatre's work from 2004 through 2011, including indoorand outdoor performances in Glover and on tour, parades, and the Bread andPuppet Museum. Photographic prints will be available for purchase during Co-op hours. The Exhibition runs from June 1 to July 15, 2012.
Exhibition Event 11Opening Reception, June 1, 2012The exhibit opens with a reception on Friday, June 1, 2012, from 5 to 8PM. Meet the photographer, have prints signed, mingle with Bread andPuppet people past and present, add your piece to the Emergent MosaicABC Book.
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Exhibition Event 22Bread and PuppetEmergent Mosaic PanelJuly 2, 2012On Monday, July 2, 2012, from 7 to 9p.m. will be a live Emergent Mosaicpanel discussion led by MarkDannenhauer featuring Bread andPuppet participants including touringpuppeteers, community and familymembers, and others. Mark has beenworking on the Bread and PuppetEmergent Mosaic Project over the pastseveral years. Bread and Puppet partic-ipants—including performers, audi-ence, producers, families—create anemergent mosaic of the Theater's histo-ry in their own words, photographyand digital media.
Exhibition Event 33The Bread and PuppetEmergent Mosaic's ABCBook. Throughout theExhibitionOngoing, during Gallery hours, June 1to July 15, 2012. The Exhibition'sBread and Puppet ABC Book is anoth-er piece of the Emergent MosaicProject. There will be a large loose-leafnotebook in the gallery. Attendees areinvited to add writings, drawings,and/or photos for their favorite letter toa loose-leaf notebook in the Gallery.Come and help create the EmergentMosaic Bread and Puppet ABC Book
For additional information on the overall Exhibition, please contactAlexis Smith, 802-371-7239.
For additional information on the photographer and the events, pleasecontact: Mark Dannenhauer, 413-259-1096, [email protected] w
The Magick of elderberry: A Powerful Antiviral Herbby Jill frink Thompson
I remember the first time I saw anelder tree in full bloom. I could notbelieve how beautiful this tree was.The clusters of white flowers were sofragrant and delicate in the heat of thesummer, it seemed they would melt. Ivisited that tree many times. Like somany others before me, I felt drawn tothis plant.
Almost every culture has an associationwith the elder tree (Sambucus spp.),and every part of the plant has beenused as medicine. The bark and rootbark were once used as "violent"purgatives, but they are now known tobe much too strong to be consideredfor that purpose. The inner bark andleaves are used topically for bruises.
The leaves are also used externally as abug repellant on both people and crops.The flowers used externally soothe dry,itchy or sunburned skin. Taken inter-nally they are antiviral, anti-inflamma-tory, cause sweating, and are diureticand expectorant. The berries have thesame action as the flowers and are con-sidered more of a tonic herb.
The berries are my favorite medicine ofthis plant. I love to see the droopingbranches filled with ripe, juicy berries.Every year I go out, gather the berriesand make syrup. If you have kids inschool you will want to learn how tomake Elderberry syrup! In my house,we go through a quart or two in themonths of August and September
alone! The basic recipebelow is my favorite.
Many scientific studies haveproven the antiviral effectsof Sambucus. Elderberry isvery active in aiding thebody in its efforts to riditself of viruses. The uniqueproperties of this plant ren-der viruses harmless bydirectly affecting theirchemical makeup.Bioflavanoids present in theberries and flowers also con-tain powerful antioxidants,which protect healthy cellsand help to rid the body ofexcess free radicals.
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continued on next page
Credit: Owen Bissex
Elderberry Syrup
3 cups fresh elderberries, or 1 cup dried berries
3 cups filtered water
11⁄2 cups honey
1 ounce fresh ginger root, grated
Black cherry concentrate (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
1 ounce echinacea tincture (95%) alcohol
1. Combine berries, ginger and water instainless steel or glass pot. Heat onmedium until simmering.
2. Continue to gently simmer uncoveredfor 45 minutes to an hour, or untilreduced in volume by half.
3. Remove from heat. Strain wellthrough cheesecloth, squeezing the
juice from the berries. Allow decoctionto cool slightly.
4. Measure liquid and combine withequal parts honey.
5. Add all the lime juice and, if youchoose, black cherry juice to taste.
6. When cooled completely, add echi-nacea tincture.
7. Pour into glass jar, label with date,and store in the refrigerator for up to ayear.
Take between 1 teaspoon and 1 table-spoon twice daily during the cold andflu season. For children ages 2-5, usehalf the adult dose. Dose for ages 6-12 is1 teaspoon twice daily. Nursing motherscan take 1 tablespoon 5 minutes beforenursing to pass the benefits along to thebaby. w
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It is my opinion that the best way to eat berries is fresh off the bush, vine orplant. Put them over anything—ice cream, yogurt, pancakes, whippedcream, etc. However, the second best way to eat berries is to freeze themand use them later in the year in smoothies, muffins, pies, cakes, etc. Belowis a three-in-one recipe. Takes forever to make, but is better and less caloricthan an ice cream cake.
The Berriest Bombe from the Great Good Food Cookbook by Julee Rossoserves 12
• 1 recipe Black Raspberry Sorbet (see right)• 1 recipe Blackberry Frozen Yogurt (see right ) • 1 recipe Bombe Fruit Sauce (see right)
1. Line a 11⁄2 quart Pyrex bowl with heavy foil. Press the foil against the bowlsnuggly, leaving no gaps or loose spots. Let the ends hang over the bowl.Place the bowl in the freezer for 2 hours.
2. Spoon the sorbet into the prepared bowl. Using the back of a spoon, spreadthe sorbet over the bottom and up the sides of the mold, forming a 11⁄4" thicklayer. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
3. Spoon the yogurt into the center of the sorbet layer and smooth the top.Freeze the bombe until firm, 3 to 4 hours.
4. To serve, remove the bombe from the freezer. Using the edges of the foil,carefully lift the bombe out of the bowl and invert it onto the serving dish.Peel off the foil.
5. Serve with Bombe Fruit Sauce.
Berry Recipes from Debra Stoleroff
18
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Bombe Fruit Sauce
1⁄2 cup frozen cran-raspberry juice
concentrate, thawed1⁄4 cup Framboise
3 cups blueberries
2 cups raspberries
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, place the juice and Framboise.
Over medium heat, reduce the liquid to 1/4 cup
2. Add the berries and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove
from the heat and allow to cool before placing atop the bombe.
Black Raspberry Sorbet
11⁄2 quarts of black raspberries, rinsed
and dried
1 cup sugar
3⁄4 cups fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 cup crème de cassis
1. In a blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients
and blend until smooth.
2. Strain the puree to remove the seeds, and chill until very
cold.
3. Transfer to a traditional ice cream maker and churn or
transfer the mixture to an ice cream machine and follow man-
ufacturer’s directions.
Blackberry Frozen Yogurt2 cups blackberries1 cup sugar2 Tbs. Triple Sec2 Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrateZest of 2 oranges11⁄2 cups nonfat plain yogurt1. Place the berries and sugar in a blender and puree.Remove to a large bowl.2. Stir in the Triple Sec, orange juice, and zest, blend thor-oughly. Fold in the yogurt until completely blended. Chillfor 1 hour. 3. Transfer to a traditional ice cream maker and churn ortransfer the mixture to an ice cream machine and followmanufacturer’s directions.
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